1. Shakespeare & Iambic Pentameter

3. CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING:
What is the stress pattern of an iamb?
stressed, unstressed
unstressed, stressed
stressed, stressed
unstressed, unstressed B

4. CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING:
Iambic Pentameter contains_____ feet, each of which contains _____ syllables.
two, five
five, five
five, two
three, two C

5. CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING:
Which of these lines is NOT iambic pentameter?
“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?”
“A little more than kin and less than kind.”
“Just for a handful of silver he left us.”
“So foul and fair a day I have not seen.” C

6. CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING:
Shakespeare’s characters often speak in iambic pentameter when they are feeling…
heightened emotions
introspective
passionate
all of the above D

7. REFLECT & Discuss:
Think about how you speak when you are feeling a strong emotion: anger, happiness, sadness, disappointment. In trying to express yourself, do you use specific kinds of words? Do you use short sentences or long sentences? And does your language change depending on the kind of emotion you’re feeling?

8. Have a conversation with one of your table partners exclusively in iambic pentameter. Write this down with each other, alternating lines. Count your syllables and stresses carefully – remember you can’t change the normal stress of a word just to fit the meter.